Ukraine; Stay, Leave or Fight
Staying means accepting risks that have already become Ukraine’s new normal: regular Russian drone and missile strikes that kill civilians and leave a trail of economic destruction; the continued conscription of most men — and, eventually perhaps, women; and significant restrictions on democratic rights that Ukrainians repeatedly took to the streets to defend.
Wartime martial law means the country hasn’t held an election in six years — an issue now highlighted by popular former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Leaving Ukraine carries its own costs: uprooted lives, divided families and the risk of ostracism at home.
The most resilient Ukrainian, according to the survey, is a Kyiv resident aged 45 to 59. This generation was in the vanguard of protests against election-rigging in late 2004 in Kyiv’s Independence Square, or Maidan, helping trigger the pro-European Orange Revolution.
A decade later, their children were the students beaten by riot police for protesting President Viktor Yanukovych’s turn toward Moscow and rejection of ties with the European Union. Those protests spiraled into the 2013-14 Revolution of Dignity, with Yanukovych fleeing to Russia in February of 2014.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to seize Crimea
Ukraine entered independence with an official population of about 54 million. Following an exodus after the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s population has fallen to about 29 million
The war forced a fight-or-flight choice on Ukrainian men eligible for conscription. About 1.5 million men are on police wanted lists for evading conscription.
Weekend Essay Bloomberg 21 August 2026
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